CowParade SLO Announced at California Mid-State Fair

Moo’ve over. San Luis Obispo County has been selected to host the CowParade™, the world’s largest and premier public art exhibit. The CowParade brings together arts, education, agriculture and tourism by sponsoring life-size acrylic cow sculptures that are painted, placed throughout the county, and then sold at auction to benefit local charities.

Artist Carol Paulsen

CowParade SLO officially launched at the California Mid-State Fair, Wednesday, July 22, 2015. The CowParade SLO exhibit in the fair’s Ponderosa Pavilion will showcase two life-size, 120-pound, acrylic sculptures painted and developed by Michelle Watson, a Cuesta College art student from Harmony, California, and Carol Paulsen, a seasoned artist whose work has appeared in public spaces throughout the county. Additionally, a sculpture by Randy Gilman entitled “Daisy’s Dream” from the 2000 CowParade exhibit in New York City will be featured. “Daisy” was originally exhibited at ground level adjacent to Grand Central Station, was seen by tens of thousands of people and was the most-photographed cow in the 500-cow New York event.

The CowParade calls on sponsors large and small to commission artists to create original works of art on blank acrylic cow “canvases” for display around the county. Artists range from the amateur and unknown to the professional and renowned. The herd will then be unleashed to graze in various high-traffic locations around the San Luis Obispo County from September 2016 to April 2017 for tourists and locals alike to enjoy. The mooving exhibit will culminate in a gala and auction, with net proceeds benefiting multiple local charities.

A variety of events are scheduled throughout the year to exhibit these works of art until they are auctioned off for charity in spring 2017.

Various levels of sponsorship are available ranging from sponsorship of a single cow to a herd of cows.

By participating in the CowParade, the Central Coast joins a worldwide movement that has spanned 80 major cities. Through the enthusiasm of the local community, its sponsors and artists, the CowParade has garnered incredible success and notoriety. CowParade SLO ambassadors will be present at the exhibit throughout the duration of the California Mid-State Fair to provide information about sponsorships, artist and charity sign-ups, and ideas for getting involved in the moovement!